Scholars To Scatter Flashcards
(13 cards)
Leviticus 20:13
Explanation/Point:
Old Testament verse condemning male homosexual acts, often cited in traditional Christian sexual ethics.
Example:
“If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.”
Challenge/Support:
Support – Used by conservative Christians to justify opposition to homosexuality.
Challenge – Often criticised for being culturally and historically specific; inconsistent application of Old Testament law.
Exodus 20:14
Explanation/Point:
The seventh of the Ten Commandments prohibits adultery, forming the basis of Judeo-Christian sexual morality.
Example:
“You shall not commit adultery.”
Challenge/Support:
Support – Reinforces traditional marital fidelity; aligns with Natural Law’s emphasis on stable unions.
Challenge – Situation Ethics might permit adultery in rare cases (e.g. sacrificial love), rejecting rule-based morality.
Bishop Barron
Explanation/Point:
Catholic theologian defending traditional sexual ethics, particularly around marriage and Natural Law.
Example:
Argues that sex outside marriage undermines human dignity and the sacramental nature of love.
Challenge/Support:
Support – Aligns with Aquinas’ view of sex’s procreative and unitive purposes.
Challenge – Critics argue his views are too restrictive and outdated in a pluralistic society.
Freud’s Critique
Explanation/Point: Freud saw sexual morality as repressive and argued that religious prohibitions on sex stem from neuroses and guilt.
Example: Taught that human behaviour is driven by the libido; repression leads to psychological harm.
Challenge/Support:
Support – Freudian views inform liberal ethics that emphasise psychological well-being and sexual freedom.
Challenge – Critics argue Freud reduces all human relationships to sexuality and undermines moral boundaries.
Cross-Cultural Variation
Explanation/Point:
Sexual norms vary widely between cultures, suggesting that sexual ethics are socially constructed rather than universal. (E.g. age of consent, Netherlands allows Prostitution)
Example:
Polygamy accepted in some African and Islamic societies, taboo in Western culture.
Challenge/Support:
Support – Undermines the idea of an objective Natural Law.
Challenge – Some argue moral truths (like consent) can be cross-culturally defended.
Evolutionary Explanation
Explanation/Point:
Evolutionary psychology suggests sexual behaviours evolved to maximise reproductive success.
Example:
Males may favour promiscuity (spreading genes), while females favour selectivity (securing support).
Challenge/Support:
Support – Explains patterns in sexual jealousy, attraction, and mate selection.
Challenge – Is-ought gap: just because something evolved doesn’t mean it is morally right (naturalistic fallacy).
Barclay
Explanation/Point:
Liberal theologian who argues that laws must serve human needs, not restrict flourishing.
Example:
Believes Jesus’ moral teachings (e.g. on adultery) should be applied with compassion and practicality.
Challenge/Support:
Support – Resonates with Situation Ethics, where love outweighs rules.
Challenge – Risks moral relativism if all rules are abandoned in favour of circumstance.
Zimbardo and Examples
Explanation/Point:
Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment showed how context and social roles can influence moral behaviour.
Example:
Ordinary people committed immoral acts when placed in roles of power.
Challenge/Support:
Support – Suggests sexual ethics are shaped by environment and authority, not just personal morality.
Challenge – Critics argue sexual behaviour also requires individual responsibility beyond situational influence.
Dawkins and Skinner
Explanation/Point:
Richard Dawkins – Sees morality as a product of evolutionary and cultural development, dismisses religious sexual ethics as irrational.
B.F. Skinner – Behaviourist who argued sexual behaviour is shaped by conditioning and social reinforcement.
Example: Dawkins critiques religion in The God Delusion; Skinner promotes environmental control of behaviour.
Challenge/Support:
Support – Emphasises the role of science and psychology over divine command.
Challenge – Critics argue these views reduce humans to biological machines, denying moral agency.
Fletcher
Explanation/Point:
Founder of Situation Ethics, which bases morality on agape (selfless love) rather than rules.
Example:
Premarital sex or even adultery could be moral if they are the most loving option.
Challenge/Support:
Support – Liberates sexual ethics from rigid rules, focuses on compassion.
Challenge – Can justify morally questionable acts; lacks consistency or universal standards.
Robinson
Explanation/Point:
Bishop John Robinson argued in Honest to God for updating Christian ethics to reflect love, not outdated rules.
Example:
Supported sexual ethics based on personal responsibility and love, not traditional doctrines.
Challenge/Support:
Support – Makes Christianity more relevant to modern life.
Challenge – Risks undermining biblical authority and encouraging relativism.
Mouw
Explanation/Point:
Evangelical theologian who emphasises covenantal relationships and divine standards in sexual ethics.
Example:
Argues that sex is not just personal but a covenantal act, rooted in God’s purposes for humanity.
Challenge/Support:
Support – Upholds traditional Christian views on marriage and fidelity.
Challenge – Can be criticised for ignoring changing social contexts and personal autonomy.
Secular Culture Problem
Explanation/Point:
The rise of secularism leads to fragmented and relativistic sexual ethics, detached from objective moral sources.
Example:
Increase in casual sex, declining marriage rates, and shifting norms around gender and identity.
Challenge/Support:
Support – Religious thinkers argue secular ethics lack a firm foundation.
Challenge – Secular ethicists claim that consent and harm minimisation are sufficient for moral guidance.
